Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 75

Jin City. Room 301, Boxue Building, Jinnan University.

After finishing an elective course related to psychology, while other students left, Yin Jiujui stayed behind. She waited until the visiting professor packed up his notes and other items before leaving with him.

The two went to dine first, then headed to a psychological counseling office owned by the professor.

Familiarly entering one of the counseling rooms, Yin Jiujui settled onto a reclining chair she knew well.

Lifting her eyes, she saw the professor bringing her a glass of water.

His features were stern, and when he didn’t smile, he appeared quite serious.

However, in Yin Jiujui’s perception, the professor was amiable and never lost his temper.

“Thank you, professor,” Yin Jiujui said, taking a sip of water before setting the glass down and lying back.

The professor gently asked, “Did you receive the money?”

“I did,” Yin Jiujui responded with a smile. “Thank you. Can we finish early today? I’d like to visit my mother.”

“Of course. With a dutiful daughter like you, your mother will be very happy,” the professor replied.

“Thanks to you,” Yin Jiujui sincerely expressed. “Without you, I wouldn’t have had enough money for my mother’s surgery.”

“No need to thank me. If anything, thank yourself. Not everyone is willing to volunteer for my experimental projects. The compensation I offer is only fair.”

The professor then walked to a corner of the therapy room, where to Yin Jiujui’s surprise, was a piano.

He lifted the piano cover and began to play. As the keys danced beneath his fingers, a smooth melody filled the room.

Yin Jiujui felt her eyelids grow heavy. She closed her eyes and envisioned a classroom where a girl in a white dress danced. Sunlight filtered through the leaves outside, casting a dreamy aura on the dancer.

“Do you see her?” she heard a deep male voice ask.

“Yes, I see her,” Yin Jiujui replied, her voice distant.

“Who is she?”

“Meng Hui. She’s Meng Hui. My best friend since childhood.”

Yin Jiujui felt as if she was immersed in a beautiful memory.

“In the future, I want to join the dance academy and become a dancer! Jiujui, don’t you want my autograph? Once I become famous, you can sell it!”

“I wouldn’t sell it. I’ll keep it.”

“Jiujui, what do you want to become in the future?”

“Your bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard? You want to protect me?”

“Yes. You’re everyone’s fairy. We all need to protect you.”

But Yin Jiujui couldn’t protect her.

She heard the piano music suddenly stop. As the last note faded, Meng Hui, who had been dancing, fell backward into a pool of blood.

Yin Jiujui felt a sinking sensation in her chest, and her world began to spin.

Afterward, she heard the professor ask, “So, who killed her this time…?”

……

Spring Hill Mental Asylum, Zone 1.

Qi Liuxing, after taking a ceremonial shower and making preparations, also entered an instance.

This time, his goal wasn’t about deciphering clues but simply fighting monsters and obtaining items.

He mostly solo-queued for such dungeons in the past. Unlike Zhou Qian, who preferred intricate dungeons filled with hidden achievements, for Qi Liuxing, these were relatively stress-free. He paired up with Ke Yuxiao. Besides acquiring equipment, their primary goal was to synchronize their skills.

Ke Yuxiao’s flute play could amplify the effects of Qi Liuxing’s sword techniques. Once they mastered their synergy, they believed they’d be unbeatable.

An hour after entering the dungeon, with the combined efforts of Qi Liuxing and Ke Yuxiao, the first mini boss was defeated, dropping two treasure chests.

Both of them opened a chest, and astonishingly, they each obtained a double experience card.

“Our luck is incredible!” Qi Liuxing exclaimed with joy, making some calculations. “At this rate… if we continue grinding like this a few more times, we both can advance to Rank S!”

Ke Yuxiao, smiling as he stowed away the card, seemed equally excited. “Indeed. I’ve heard that upon reaching Rank S… it’s almost like entering a new game. The experience should be entirely different. We can also get closer to the gods and attain what we desire.”

Qi Liuxing continued, “Yes. I heard Zhou Qian say he was going to Blue Harbor City, which is some kind of semi-open instance. It seems completely different from the ones we’re currently playing. Hmm… Once we level up to Rank S, we can go to Blue Harbor City to find him!”

Ke Yuxiao nodded, his eyes filled with anticipation. “I’ve heard of Blue Harbor City. Apparently, we need to buy an ‘entry ticket’ to access it. We can grind and gain experience while simultaneously putting up a purchase request in the trading hall.”

“Right!” Qi Liuxing said, visibly excited, as he accessed his system panel. “I’m going to the trading hall to place a purchase request now.”

……

Blue Harbor City, Murder Exhibition Hall.

This was a vast building with an irregular shape. Depending on the perspective, the structure presented different polygonal designs. The construction material seemed like some metal, shiny as a mirror, reflecting white light into various colors, blending seamlessly into the vibrant city backdrop. However, the interior told a different story.

Upon entering the exhibition hall, the only colors Zhou Qian could see were black and white. Accompanying the monochrome was an inexplicable chilly aura.

Soon after entering the main door, a corridor stretched out before him, long and seemingly endless, almost as if it led to hell itself.

All Zhou Qian could discern near the entrance were two doors, each illuminated by a light. One was labeled “Hall A” and the other “Hall B”.

At that moment, a female staff member emerged from the depths of the corridor. Dressed in a white gown with flowing hair, she moved silently, resembling a stereotypical ghostly female lead from horror films.

Her voice had an eerie undertone, chilling to its core.

After giving Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou a fleeting glance, she softly advised, “Please choose a hall to begin your tour. Once you start, you must see it through. No quitting halfway.”

“Is there a specific order? Or do we need to tour all the halls regardless of the sequence?” Zhou Qian inquired.

The staff member gave a slight smile, her dark, cold eyes glancing at him. “You aren’t from Blue Harbor City. Visitors like you must visit all the halls. Only the vacant ones can be chosen.”

Zhou Qian grasped her implication.

By “visitors,” she referred to players, while “locals” meant NPCs. NPCs were unrestricted, but once players began, they had to complete their task before they could leave.

“What do you mean by ‘vacant’?” Zhou Qian probed further.

This time, the staff member only smiled mysteriously, fixing Zhou Qian with a haunting gaze.

As Zhou Qian was about to question her more, three men emerged from Hall B. All three were NPCs. Like the previous trio of women, they were garishly dressed but looked rather pale and clearly disturbed.

“What’s inside?” Zhou Qian asked.

“Blood, flesh… It’s nauseating.”

“Why did we even come to such a place?”

“Hey, it was you two who wanted to build up some courage in advance!”

The brief exchange was revealing. Zhou Qian pressed for more details: why they needed courage, their origins, and more.

He learned that the three were students from Blue Harbor City’s Detective Academy, aspiring to be exceptional detectives. Hearing that an exhibition hall had opened, they believed visiting such a macabre exhibit would help them acclimatize to actual crime scenes.

But everything on display in this exhibition hall exceeded their imagination, so much so that they wanted to leave only after visiting Hall B.

The man in the red shirt shuddered. “The sight of my clothes now makes me want to puke. The scenes inside were too horrifying.”

Zhou Qian couldn’t help but stare at the red shirt adorned with stars and moons. The imagery against the red backdrop made it appear as if someone had drawn the celestial patterns in blood.

Zhou Qian wasn’t sure if he had a prejudice against the color red, which led to such feelings. But in any case, he found the shirt very uncomfortable.

“What’s really inside? Are the blood and flesh real?” Zhou Qian queried.

“I don’t know. Maybe animal blood and flesh?” the man in the red shirt answered. “Anyway, the corpses inside are too realistic.”

The man in the green shirt chimed in, “The corpses are uncannily lifelike. Not just their skin, but their expressions too.”

The young man in the green clothes quickly added, “The bodies look so real! Not just the skin; even the expressions on the corpses are so lifelike! My God, I made eye contact with a female corpse whose eyes wouldn’t close in death and almost peed my pants! It’s truly terrifying!”

The one in the yellow clothes continued, “At first, I thought they were wax figures. Or maybe some 3D realistic display. After convincing myself, I touched a corpse’s hand. Fuck… It felt like I was touching a living person, really! It was so damn scary.”

When Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou first arrived at the exhibition, they encountered three young ladies.

These ladies screamed as they came out of the exhibition and quickly left without saying much. The reactions of these three men after visiting the exhibition were clearly similar to those of the ladies.

They too felt that “this place isn’t good to stay in for long”. And so, they quickly stopped answering any more questions and ran out of the exhibition as if they were flying.

Zhou Qian caught a glimpse of their retreating figures.

As he turned his head, he met Bai Zhou’s gaze. Just then, the ghostly female staff member eerily reminded them, “Please make your choice quickly. You have 30 seconds left.”

At this point, she grinned as if she was hoping they wouldn’t make a choice—as if any violation from the players would give her the right to devour them alive.

Immediately after, Zhou Qian heard Bai Zhou ask, “Do you want to go to Hall A?”

Bai Zhou’s suggestion was indeed good.

Although they didn’t know what was in Hall A, Zhou Qian knew from the NPCs that Hall B contained a lot of blood, which he didn’t like.

Zhou Qian smiled and nodded at Bai Zhou, asking, “Have you told Hidden Blade and He Xiaowei where we’re going?”

“Yes, they are on their way,” Bai Zhou replied.

“Then it’s perfect for splitting up. Let them go to Hall B first.”

Without wasting any more time, Zhou Qian quickly turned and walked into Hall A.

……

It was initially pitch black inside Hall A, but the room lit up as Bai Zhou and Zhou Qian stepped in.

The pure white light illuminated everything, revealing the details of the hall. The hall seemed smaller than Zhou Qian had anticipated. It was only after entering that he realized this was just one of the exhibition rooms in Hall A. Directly across from them was a sign on the wall that read “Hall A-1”. To the right was another door, presumably leading to “Hall A-2”.

In Hall A-1, everything was square and neat. There was no blood, no flesh, and no gruesome or horrifying props related to those ideas. The only thing present was a tiny corpse in the center of the room—the body of an infant—and nothing else.

But that didn’t mean the situation wasn’t eerie. Without vivid, visually shocking elements like blood or severed limbs, the mere sight of a pale, slightly purplish, closed-eyed infant lying under the blinding white light, looking eerily real, still made the room feel unsettling.

At first glance, it might not seem like much. But as time passed, in the quiet room with only oneself and a deceased infant bathed in an overly bright light, it felt like being judged… It would probably make anyone’s skin crawl.

Even Zhou Qian slightly frowned. After exchanging a glance with Bai Zhou, they both approached to examine the infant’s body.

The dead baby was casually lying in the center of the pristine white floor. A label in front of its tiny feet probably bore its name: “Ke Hua”.

Zhou Qian’s eyes scanned the name. When he looked up, Bai Zhou had already picked up the baby.

Zhou Qian’s attention was on Bai Zhou’s expression. Naturally, Bai Zhou was expressionless.

Clearly, he was a seasoned player. Zhou Qian subtly raised an eyebrow before focusing back on the infant. Then he heard Bai Zhou say, “The body is still somewhat warm, as if it died recently.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian reached out to touch the baby’s cheek, feeling its softness and slight warmth. Indeed, it seemed the baby had only stopped breathing minutes ago.

Its body showed no signs of rigidity, and the skin still felt warm.

Bai Zhou quickly undressed the infant to inspect its body. There were no visible external injuries. After checking, Bai Zhou dressed the infant again.

Zhou Qian asked, “Did you find anything?”

Bai Zhou replied, “The face and lips are a bit purplish. There’s nothing else. It might have died from suffocation.”

“Suffocation in infants is common. To determine if it’s a homicide, one would need to figure out whether it’s accidental or intentional,” Zhou Qian remarked as he looked around. “But considering this is a ‘Murder Exhibition Hall’, accidents can likely be ruled out. This infant’s death was the result of a deliberate murder.”

“However, naming this an exhibition hall is problematic. From what we see, it merely displays a corpse. There’s no murderer, no environment depicting the victim’s last moments… How is this a complete murder exhibition? Wait—”

Zhou Qian approached and took the baby from Bai Zhou’s arms, inspecting it closely as if trying to discern the details of its skin and hair.

“Those NPCs were right. This body is too realistic. It’s not a wax figure. Could it be made of some special material to make it look so real?”

Zhou Qian paused, then shook his head. “No, it feels completely human.”

“Yes, I agree. It’s a real person,” Bai Zhou confirmed.

“So what’s going on? Did someone murder an infant in the exhibition and then run away?” Zhou Qian felt puzzled, as this explanation seemed somewhat inconsistent.

Logically, the displays in an exhibition shouldn’t change in the short term. Therefore, the baby should remain here indefinitely. Hence, it couldn’t have been recently killed. Unless logic didn’t apply here and the murderer just left moments ago.

“It doesn’t make sense. Let’s check the next exhibition hall,” Bai Zhou said. As he walked towards Hall A-2, he glanced at his wrist and told Zhou Qian, “Hidden Blade and his team have arrived and are about to enter Hall B. We can ask about their findings later.”

“Alright.” Zhou Qian, seemingly lost in thought, chuckled.

Noticing the smile, Bai Zhou inquired, “What is it?”

Zhou Qian replied, “I was wondering why those fools who wanted to kill me haven’t found me yet. Hey, Zhou Ge, maybe this instance is challenging, and they’ve heard rumors, so they’re preparing before rushing in.”

Bai Zhou stared at Zhou Qian for a moment before proceeding. “The harder the dungeon, the happier you are.”

“Exactly. If I see through it and others can’t, then I have the chance to deal with them,” Zhou Qian said, narrowing his eyes at Bai Zhou’s retreating figure. “By the way, when you were an NPC, why didn’t you increase the difficulty for me?”

Instead of answering directly, Bai Zhou responded, “Wasn’t it in the second year? I was helping the teacher grade math papers and accidentally deducted an extra point from you. You were angry for quite some time.”

Zhou Qian immediately retorted, “Bringing up the past isn’t fun! I have a much better temper now!”

Bai Zhou: “I’ve noticed.”

Zhou Qian: “See? I told you!”

While conversing, the two arrived at Hall A-2. The dim room lit up upon their entry, similar to Hall A-1. Again, everything was immaculate, and there was only one lone child corpse, this time a girl around three or four years old. A preliminary check revealed no apparent injuries except for some white foam at the corner of her mouth.

After the inspection, Zhou Qian pointed to a spot on the floor and said, “Look there.”

Bai Zhou glanced down to see a label with the name: “Ke Xue.”

This girl also had the surname “Ke”!

Hall A-2 wasn’t the end of Hall A. They continued on, discovering a total of seven exhibition rooms in Hall A. Each room contained a child’s or infant’s body, none older than seven years. Six children had the surname “Ke”, and only one boy had the surname “Xu”.

There was no other way out in the 7th exhibition hall, so the two had to retrace their steps and return to Hall A-1.

At that moment, they heard a commotion from the corridor, sounding like many people were approaching. Before long, eight individuals entered Hall A-1.

It was the same group Zhou Qian had encountered on the beach—those who wanted to kill him. Among the group, the long-haired man was present, but the bald man was absent.

Zhou Qian surmised that after their group of more than ten people entered, they split into two teams: one led by the bald man went to Hall B, while the other, led by the long-haired man, came to Hall A.

The moment he saw Zhou Qian, the long-haired man sneered. His followers seemed ready to make a move, but Zhou Qian nonchalantly said, “This place has a time limit. You’d better check the exhibition rooms first. Also, you’ve come too late. I’ve hidden the key clues.”

“You son of a—”

An underling immediately stepped forward, glaring at Zhou Qian.

The greasy, long-haired man was much calmer now than he had been on the beach. He immediately reprimanded his underlings. “Let’s first go through all the exhibition halls together. This instance is very tricky. Don’t take it lightly.”

After the long-haired man spoke, seeing that the group of eight went to Hall A-2, Zhou Qian signaled to Bai Zhou. As they were about to leave Hall A to head to the corridor, another short-haired, red-skirted staff member suddenly appeared, signaling them to stop.

She had flaming red lips, dense eyelashes, heavy eyeliner, and an overly pale face, looking like another version of a standard ghostly figure.

“The tour hasn’t ended. You can’t leave,” the staff member said in a haunting voice.

“When will it end?” Zhou Qian asked her.

“Wait. Just wait. Once the mission begins, Hall A will be temporarily sealed.” The staff member laughed, revealing her white teeth. The lipstick smeared on her teeth made them look blood-stained, a sight that made Zhou Qian instinctively frown.

Meanwhile, the group of eight didn’t investigate as thoroughly as Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou did. They moved quickly and were soon back in Hall A-1.

Probably feeling the eeriness of the exhibition hall, they also moved to leave Hall A. But just then, there was a loud “bang”, and the door to Hall A closed.

All the lights went out, and the exhibition hall plunged into darkness.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Who’s touching me? Damn it, it’s not one of those babies, is it?”

“Third Brother, don’t scare me… I…”

“It can’t be… There aren’t ghosts here, are there?”

Zhou Qian, annoyed by the noise, whispered to Bai Zhou beside him, “If these clowns don’t get eliminated soon, they’ll definitely affect my clearing the level—”

But he stopped when he noticed Bai Zhou holding his hand.

“What’s the matter?”

“Something’s not right.”

“Where?”

As Zhou Qian said this, he realized both his and Bai Zhou’s voices had changed—they now sounded like children.

The lights came on, and Zhou Qian found himself in a large, messy living room. At the moment, he was standing by a sofa with a toy train in front of him on the floor. Bai Zhou was next to him, holding his hand.

When he turned to look at Bai Zhou, he realized Bai Zhou appeared to be about seven years old. Zhou Qian himself also looked like he was six or seven, barely taller than the nearby sofa.

In the living room, the other eight people, upon realizing they had become younger, began to scream and wail.

Zhou Qian, however, laughed and looked at Bai Zhou. “Hey, you were about this age when I first met you, right? I didn’t expect to see you like this again.”

Pinching Bai Zhou’s cheek, he continued, “Little Bai Zhou is so cute, and you still have baby fat.”

The door to the living room opened, and an aging, middle-aged woman walked in. “Children, Mom’s back! Did you miss me?”

“So… all ten of us are her children?”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian whispered to Bai Zhou, “Is this some sort of instance with super fecundity you see in literature?”

Bai Zhou looked at Zhou Qian for a moment, then asked in the same quiet tone, “What kind of novels do you usually read?”

Zhou Qian quickly responded, “Not me. My sick friend Qi Liuxing reads them!”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 74

Not far across the street, the traffic light changed once again.

Zhou Qian lowered his head and noticed the flier in front of him had shifted in color. He casually accepted the flier and looked up, only to see a very short figure handing them out. The individual wore a loose, colorful outfit and a skull mask, making it impossible to discern their gender.

Seeing Zhou Qian take a flier, the figure gave a respectful bow as if to express gratitude, then turned and disappeared into the vibrant Blue Harbor City.

Zhou Qian glanced briefly at the gory flier and carelessly stowed it away.

He then opened his system panel and sent his location to [137]. Soon after, he swiftly left the intersection and headed directly to the “I’m the Prettiest Fashion Shop”, a route he had previously scoped out.

The proprietor of this shop wasn’t an NPC but a player, who warmly welcomed Zhou Qian’s arrival.

Under the shopkeeper’s enthusiastic recommendation, Zhou Qian bought the “One-Click Hair Color Change” tool and successfully dyed his hair silver. But it wasn’t just silver; the color was highlighted with hints of pink, purple, and blue.

Such flamboyant colors might seem over the top, but on Zhou Qian, it gave him the vibe of a “comic book hero.”

In this colorful city, the hair didn’t seem out of place and only made Zhou Qian look more handsome.

That wasn’t all. Zhou Qian also changed his outfit. He donned a loose white robe in Japanese style. After the shopkeeper used the “Kaleidoscope” tool on it, the robe looked as if it were splattered with various colors, so dazzling that it almost hurt the eyes.

Lastly, upon the shopkeeper’s strong recommendation, Zhou Qian added two ear studs and an earring along the cartilage of his left ear. These shimmered silver under the light, harmonizing with his hair color.

Once the makeover was complete, Zhou Qian purchased a mask that covered half of his face and left the shop, quite pleased. Once he returned to the main street, he seamlessly blended into this uniquely styled city.

Instead of returning to the intersection where he had agreed to meet [137], Zhou Qian, with his mask on, went to a café diagonally across the intersection. The café’s sign was a peculiar mix of green and pink, adding to the city’s vibrancy.

Zhou Qian went straight to the second floor of the café, ordered a strange multi-colored drink, and sat by the window. He then removed his mask, took out binoculars, and began observing the intersection.

It had been a full seven years since he last saw him after their separation in the first year of high school. What would he look like now?

Is he the one with the baseball cap? Hmm, it doesn’t seem like it.

The traffic lights kept changing, and pedestrians kept moving. The only constant was Zhou Qian with his binoculars.

While searching for Bai Zhou, Zhou Qian recalled a phone call he received three days prior.

It was from Situ Qing.

“What’s up?” Zhou Qian had asked her at the time.

“I’ve found Mu Sheng,” Situ Qing replied.

At that moment, Zhou Qian instinctively glanced towards the direction of the hospital’s Zone X, then asked, “What about him?”

Situ Qing said, “He’s dead.”

According to Situ Qing’s account, after leaving the instance “Flower of Evil”, she started searching for a new apartment. She planned to return the rental where she and Mu Sheng had lived together, seeing it as a final goodbye to those painful memories.

While she was preparing to move, she unexpectedly saw Situ Xue and Mu Sheng’s father outside the apartment complex.

Seeing Situ Qing, Situ Xue approached her with tears in her eyes, apologizing repeatedly. Mu Sheng’s father, however, just stood by his car, smoking a cigarette, with a deeply sorrowful expression.

Situ Qing couldn’t tell if it was because they hadn’t met in so long, but they both seemed to have aged decades overnight.

After experiencing the vision Zhou Qian had shown her, Situ Qing’s mindset had completely changed.

When she saw her mother, she didn’t feel anything; it was as if she was detached from everything she saw before her.

Situ Xue approached and hugged her, apologizing continuously.

She then began explaining, somewhat incoherently, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! All these years, it’s not that I didn’t want to see you. Mu Sheng threatened me. He said if I saw you, he would kill you. I’m sorry. I—”

Upon hearing the name “Mu Sheng,” Situ Qing instinctively frowned.

She then had a thought—if her mother truly wanted to take her away, she could simply leave Mu Sheng’s father and move to another city with her. In the end, her mother just couldn’t bear to part with her own life.

Suddenly feeling a burst of clarity, Situ Qing took a few steps back, avoiding her mother’s embrace. “Please move. I’m moving out.”

Faced with her daughter’s alienation, Situ Xue was momentarily stunned.

Seeing this, Mu Sheng’s father sighed deeply and approached with a weary expression. “We came to inform you that we received news of Mu Sheng’s death. He’s dead. I’ve been preparing for his funeral…”

Afterwards, Situ Qing found Mu Sheng’s death suspicious, so she called Zhou Qian.

After their conversation, Zhou Qian immediately contacted Li Xuehai, asking if there had been any new arrivals in Zone X recently. Li Xuehai checked and informed Zhou Qian the next day. “Yes, someone new did arrive. Apparently, his surname is Mu. I can see his basic information in the hospital system, but not more. However—”

“However, what?” Zhou Qian asked.

“One of the familiar nurses saw him and mentioned that he no longer has legs. His legs were sawed off,” Li Xuehai replied.

Now, it was clear—Mu Sheng had faked his own death.

Who did this and how remains a mystery. But what was evident was that Mu Sheng’s family and friends believed him to be dead, even witnessing his supposed “corpse”, when he was actually transferred to Spring Hill Mental Asylum’s Zone X.

Moreover, Zhou Qian recalled from Situ Qing’s account that Mu Sheng hadn’t been amputated. Instead, he suffered nerve damage to his spine and could no longer walk. But according to Li Xuehai’s information, by the time Mu Sheng entered Zone X, he had no legs.

What’s going on?

So…

Could Bai Zhou’s situation be similar?

Part of his body remained in reality, turned into ashes in an urn.

But what about the other part in Zone X?

What exactly is inside that straitjacket?

If Bai Zhou is in such a condition…

Can his appearance in the game differ from his real-world appearance?

If the real Bai Zhou’s appearance permanently stayed at 16 or 17 years old…

What will he look like in the game?

With these thoughts, Zhou Qian looked through the binoculars towards the intersection, spotting a figure amidst the neon lights. He was dressed in a simple gray-white casual long shirt, with neat short hair and a tall, slender yet solid frame.

This plain look should have been ordinary and refreshing, but in this world, it made him stand out, immediately drawing Zhou Qian’s attention.

Zooming the binoculars to focus on his face, Zhou Qian recognized the familiar yet changed features.

The distance between his eyes seemed slightly longer, his eye contours sharper, and the bridge of his nose more prominent. And his lips… seemed to have thinned a bit?

Nevertheless, by this point, Zhou Qian had wholly confirmed one thing—

It was Bai Zhou.

Staring intently at the person’s facial features for a good while, Zhou Qian zoomed out the binoculars, slowly shifting his gaze downward, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Then he pulled the lens even farther back, observing the whole intersection. The traffic lights at the crossroads were still flashing and changing, and the streets were noisy and bustling.

In the dynamic and chaotic scene, only Bai Zhou stood still.

Zhou Qian watched intently, noticing Bai Zhou occasionally glancing around, seemingly looking for someone. But he didn’t seem to be in a hurry and didn’t move from his spot.

After waiting a while, Bai Zhou raised his wrist, apparently accessing some system panel.

During this time, countless passersby raised their wristwatches toward him, pausing to whisper among themselves, probably surprised to encounter a Rank God player here.

Zhou Qian’s wrist vibrated with a notification, but he didn’t check. He just continued watching Bai Zhou through the binoculars.

After a while, Zhou Qian saw a man in a sweatshirt with spiky hair approach Bai Zhou. They clearly seemed familiar with each other and exchanged a few words. The spiky-haired man then looked around, seemingly also searching for someone.

Zhou Qian frowned, wondering who the spiky-haired man was, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. A familiar voice followed. “Hey, Qian’er! You’re here! We meet again!”

Turning in surprise, Zhou Qian saw He Xiaowei.

“You…”

Before Zhou Qian could react, He Xiaowei pushed open the window and shouted across the street in a loud voice, “Hey—! Master! It’s me!! I’m here! Guess who I found?! Qian’er?! Qian’er is here too!”

Zhou Qian: “………”

Could you shout any louder?

Before the people at the intersection could turn their gaze to the café, Zhou Qian swiftly did two things—first, he stored the binoculars in his bag; second, he put the mask back on.

Seeing Zhou Qian’s actions, He Xiaowei asked in confusion, “What are you doing? Cosplaying?”

Glancing at the food in his hand, Zhou Qian gritted his teeth. “Just eat your food!”

Having said that, Zhou Qian, from behind the mask, glanced at the intersection and saw Bai Zhou looking back.

After seven long years, in a dreamlike world, separated by a mask, flashing neon lights, and colorful lights, the two finally made genuine eye contact.

Looking at Bai Zhou, Zhou Qian’s memories instantly traveled back to that evening seven years ago after school.

Bai Zhou said “goodbye” to him and left without looking back. The young man’s retreating figure vanished into that dimly lit avenue, marking Zhou Qian’s last memory of him.

On that dim avenue, each falling leaf symbolized their parting. With the passage of time, they gently swayed, taking Bai Zhou to a place Zhou Qian could never reach. From that point on, life and death separated them, putting an insurmountable distance between them.

Until this moment, the memories of that dim hue transformed into the dreamlike colors before him. And Bai Zhou was walking through these colors, step by step, toward Zhou Qian.

It felt as if, after experiencing a parting between life and death in reality, they were finally reunited in a mysterious, unknown world.

……

Five minutes later.

Zhou Qian, Bai Zhou, He Xiaowei, and Hidden Blade were seated at a dining table on the second floor of the tea restaurant.

Zhou Qian sat next to He Xiaowei, facing Hidden Blade, with Bai Zhou diagonally across. As the four of them dined, three remained silent, leaving only He Xiaowei chatting away.

“I must be incredibly lucky! I got the once-in-a-lifetime double experience card. Hahaha, otherwise, how could I have reached the legendary Blue Harbor City so quickly?”

“What’s up with your hair, Qian’er? And that mask. Who are you trying to cosplay? You seem so quiet today—it’s not like you.”

Seeing Zhou Qian not responding, He Xiaowei cleared his throat and cautiously looked at the two Rank God players across the table. He blinked, first looking at Hidden Blade, and said in a flattering tone, “Um, Master… hehe, thank you for personally taking me on an instance run. The person next to you is…?”

Hidden Blade frowned, playing the role of a stern master, and scolded, “Don’t ask unnecessary questions!”

“Yes, yes,” He Xiaowei quickly agreed, then sneaked a glance at the other Rank God player known only by the codename ​[137]​.

Damn… Some people just outshine others; it’s really infuriating. How can this person look even better than a celebrity idol?

He Xiaowei secretly sighed, realizing that this ​[137]​ seemed very aloof. He showed no emotions, didn’t speak, and was simply staring at Zhou Qian beside him.

Huh? Why does he keep looking at Zhou Qian?

Oh, I get it. He probably finds Zhou Qian’s outfit weird too!

Right. That must be the reason. Definitely!

I always said, Zhou Qian’s sense of style is seriously off.

If it wasn’t for his face, he’d look like one of those awkward dancers you see in the village.

But He Xiaowei would never dare say this out loud.

He just followed Bai Zhou’s gaze to Zhou Qian beside him.

He couldn’t help but sigh silently again; Zhou Qian was indeed acting very strange today.

He was staring silently at the colorful drink in front of him; his only movement was stirring the ice with a straw.

What’s so interesting about ice cubes?

For some reason, He Xiaowei felt there was an eerie atmosphere at the table.

Trying to make small talk, he said, “Haha, these pan-fried buns are really delicious! Qian’er, do you want some?”

Zhou Qian just kept staring at the ice cubes in his drink. “I don’t eat fried food.”

“Huh? This isn’t really fried, is it? But you’re quite particular, huh? Oh, haha—”

He Xiaowei cleared his throat awkwardly, then looked at Hidden Blade. “When I came to the second-floor dining area earlier, I saw a familiar figure from behind. I thought to myself, it couldn’t be Qian’er, could it? Haha, how did we just bump into each other in such a huge crowd?”

“Heh, I approached and tapped him on the shoulder, and who would’ve guessed! It really was Qian’er!”

“Our bond isn’t just deep; we’re like brothers! Even with that get-up, I recognized him instantly.”

“Speaking of which, I have no idea why he was by the window with binoculars—Ow, ow, ow!”

He Xiaowei’s outbursts immediately drew the attention of others in the restaurant.

He quickly clasped his hands in apology to those around, then looked at Zhou Qian, a bit aggrieved. “Why did you pinch me?”

“Because you talk too much,” Zhou Qian responded, picking up a bun and shoving it into He Xiaowei’s mouth. “Eat your bun!”

He Xiaowei muttered under his breath, “Qian’er, your temper is getting weirder and weirder.”

“Oh, come on!” Zhou Qian said, looping an arm around He Xiaowei’s neck and squinting threateningly. “My dear Xiaowei, I’m just worried you’re not eating enough—”

Before Zhou Qian could finish, he heard Bai Zhou from across the table. “Zhou Qian?”

Zhou Qian blinked but didn’t look up, just staring at He Xiaowei’s face and responding with a noncommittal “Hm?”

“Do you want to go somewhere with me?” Bai Zhou continued.

Letting go of He Xiaowei, Zhou Qian finally turned his gaze to Bai Zhou. It was the second time he had looked at Bai Zhou in a long while.

“Where to?” Zhou Qian asked.

“Just follow me,” Bai Zhou stood up.

After a pause, Zhou Qian gave a nod towards the stairway. “Alright, lead the way.”

Blinking, He Xiaowei watched as Bai Zhou and Zhou Qian left one after the other, then turned to Hidden Blade in confusion. “Master, what’s going on?”

Hidden Blade thought, ‘Why are you asking me?’ but outwardly he maintained his stern demeanor. “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t.”

He Xiaowei: “…”

……

Zhou Qian followed Bai Zhou downstairs, out of the café, and into a narrow alley that led to its end.

The light in the alley gradually dimmed, but at its end, the surroundings brightened up again—just ahead was a vast deep blue sea.

Walking along the sandy beach, Zhou Qian followed Bai Zhou to the water’s edge. The sky was still vibrant, full of life and colors, yet this stretch of beach was eerily deserted, offering a rare tranquility.

They walked a long way, with Zhou Qian always maintaining half a step behind Bai Zhou. Eventually, the tumultuous emotions that Zhou Qian felt began to calm.

It seemed as if all his restlessness had dissipated in this place.

Throughout the walk, Zhou Qian didn’t walk side by side with Bai Zhou. After tracing their steps back and forth along the beach, Bai Zhou finally stopped and turned to look at him.

Zhou Qian looked up, meeting Bai Zhou’s gaze for the third time. He noticed that the deep black of Bai Zhou’s eyes seemed tinted with the blue of the sea, making them even more profound.

At the same time, Bai Zhou’s gaze was tender, just like it used to be, as if the seven years of separation had never happened.

Then, Zhou Qian heard Bai Zhou ask, “Why the mask?”

Zhou Qian smiled slightly and responded, “You’re allowed to wear a disguise, but I can’t put on a little act?”

Hearing this, Bai Zhou chuckled. His eyes skimmed over Zhou Qian’s hair and earrings before turning to face the deep blue sea again, not speaking for a moment.

Zhou Qian then took the initiative, sitting on a nearby rock. “You seem familiar with this place?”

“Just been here a few times,” Bai Zhou replied.

“Oh?” Zhou Qian inquired. “Who did you come with for the trial?”

Bai Zhou: “I never went for any trials. I occasionally visit the auction house. Sometimes, you can find good items there.”

Zhou Qian nodded. “I see.”

After that, both of them sat in silence, gazing at the sea. The atmosphere was once again filled with quietude.

The soft rustling of waves could be heard, washing over the sandy shores. The world was without stars or moon, and the blue waters shimmered in hazy multicolor. Waves brought the seawater to the beach, taking some sand along with them as they receded, flowing into the distance.

After a long while, Bai Zhou turned to look at Zhou Qian, speaking softly. “I thought you’d have many questions for me.”

“There are many,” Zhou Qian admitted, “but after seeing you, I didn’t know where to start.”

“Ask anything you like.”

“Anything, huh… Let me think…”

Where should he start? Why did Bai Zhou leave without a word? Why did he suddenly disappear? Why did he “die” in reality? Why did he hide his identity in the game? When did Bai Zhou start playing this game? What exactly is a Rank God player?

…

As these questions went through Zhou Qian’s mind, Bai Zhou’s expression became more solemn. Then, Zhou Qian suddenly stood up, walking right in front of him.

At a very close distance, Zhou Qian, behind his mask, looked into Bai Zhou’s eyes. Then, with a smile, he asked, “I want to know—how does it feel to wear a little skirt? Is it fun?”

Bai Zhou seemed slightly taken aback for a moment, but then his tense expression softened into a smile. Gazing into Zhou Qian’s bright eyes, Bai Zhou raised his hand, the tip of his slender index finger lightly touching Zhou Qian’s mask.

“Can you take it off?”

After a moment, Bai Zhou softly asked him.

Zhou Qian didn’t answer, but instead, smiling, he took a half-step back, dodging Bai Zhou’s fingertip.

Looking at Bai Zhou, Zhou Qian seemed about to say something when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something, and his face changed drastically.

Due to the mask, Bai Zhou couldn’t see Zhou Qian’s facial expression, but he instantly sensed the change from the sudden sharpness in Zhou Qian’s eyes.

Bai Zhou quickly turned to see what was behind him. In a spot unseen by Zhou Qian, Bai Zhou’s eyes displayed an extreme sense of indifference and coldness.

Holding the Rib of God in his hand, Zhou Qian moved forward, spotting a group of oddly dressed individuals approaching him, each emanating a powerful murderous aura.

“What’s happening?” Zhou Qian whispered to Bai Zhou. “Do you know?”

Before Bai Zhou could reply, a bald man from the crowd shouted, “A bounty order from the underworld, issued by the Peach Blossom Legion. Ahh… so you’re Zhou Qian? How can such a skinny figure like you be worth so much?”

Beside the bald man stood another with long, greasy hair wrapped around his waist. “Thinking you can come to a semi-open instance after having a bounty on your head, hahaha. You’ve got guts! Lucky for us, you came to Blue Harbor City!”

The bald man and the long-haired man seemed to be the leaders of this small gang, with others as their followers.

One of the subordinates remarked, “This Zhou Qian is accompanied by a Rank God player. But it looks like this Rank God player has been blacklisted by the Peach Blossom Legion, which is why he didn’t see their bounty notice?”

Another added, “Huh, this Rank God player is named [137]? Never heard of him. Maybe he’s a low-key Rank God player? Maybe I should ask the Rank God players I know about his background?”

The bald man interrupted, “Don’t bother! Who cares about his background? Here, their abilities are greatly reduced to about an ordinary Rank S. So, what’s there to fear? Let’s get him together and claim the bounty from the Peach Blossom Legion!”

“Zhou Ge—”

Seeing the menacing group advance, Zhou Qian remained unfazed.

With a playful idea in mind, he glanced at Bai Zhou and grinned. “Think we can handle this?”

Suddenly, an ancient and elusive Tang sword appeared out of thin air, swiftly gripped by Bai Zhou.

He looked at the unruly crowd with an indifferent expression, but when he turned to Zhou Qian, his eyes softened again. “Stay behind me.”

Just as Bai Zhou’s words fell, a rustling sound was heard. In front of them, grains of sand on the beach began to rise, reflecting a mysterious glow under the colorful sky. Astonishingly, countless snakes, insects, rodents, and ants began crawling out!

This must be the skill of someone from that group. It’s likely that all these creatures are highly venomous.

Suddenly, a sword that gleamed like moonlit frost was raised, signaling Bai Zhou’s intent to strike. In a flash, however, his wrist, which was gripping the sword, was seized by someone.

Turning his head, Bai Zhou looked at Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian smiled and shook his head at him, saying, “We won’t fight.”

Allowing Zhou Qian to hold his wrist, Bai Zhou took a step back with him. “What do you have in mind?”

“Let’s take them down inside the instance.” Zhou Qian winked at Bai Zhou and immediately took out a mirror with his right hand, saying, “Let’s go.”

……

On the beach, as the chilling blade of the Tang sword was about to be unsheathed, the bald and long-haired men were preparing to confront it. But then, a flash from the mirror passed by, and the two figures on the beach side by side vanished.

Behind them, the followers began mocking.

“A Rank God player actually ran away! Hahaha! We really don’t have to be afraid!”

“Why is the Peach Blossom Legion even bothering with bounties? Zhou Qian’s just a coward!”

“Where did they escape to? That mirror only allows them to move 500 meters!”

“I’m checking today’s open instances… ah, the closest one that’s open for newbie Rank S players is ‘Murder Exhibition’!”

“Oh no, he’s not really going there, is he? I heard many players died in that instance recently!”

“Hahaha, this is going to be fun!”

“That being said… do we continue the chase or wait for them?”

“Cough cough, boss.” One of the followers turned to the bald man. “Should we go to ‘Murder Exhibition’ to continue our pursuit?”

“What? Are you scared?” The bald man sneered.

Another follower remarked, “But… we’ve heard that instance is quite wicked.”

The man with long hair said, “Our ‘Invincible Legion’ has just been established, and we’ve publicly taken up a bounty. If we can’t win this fight, won’t we lose face? Let’s go! Let’s enter the ‘Murder Exhibition’! I don’t believe we can’t handle it!”

The bald man echoed, “Exactly! Let’s go! What’s there to be afraid of? If we don’t kill them now, should we wait for them to finish the instance and level up? Let’s move, right now!”

……

Elsewhere, after Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou quickly left the beach using the “[Universe Teleportation Mirror], Zhou Qian immediately started running, heading straight for the Murder Exhibition Hall.

Outside the exhibition hall was a large, spacious courtyard. Scattered around were several cars parked haphazardly in a disorderly manner.

As Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou approached the courtyard’s entrance, they encountered an old gatekeeper. The old man had silvery white hair and wore a simple gray cloth robe. Interestingly, he wasn’t dressed in the usual vibrant colors. There was a melancholic aura about him. Upon seeing Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, his deeply wrinkled face broke into an eerily strange smile.

“Do you really want to go in?” The old man asked with a bizarre grin. “If you wish to enter, each person needs to pay 50 gold coins for a ticket. Scanning the ticket to enter the exhibition means you are officially entering the sub-instance.”

“We’re going in,” Zhou Qian decisively said.

“Very well.” The old man handed over two tickets. The moment Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou took them, their systems automatically deducted 50 gold coins each.

Zhou Qian checked his system and exchanged a glance with Bai Zhou before they both walked towards the entrance of the exhibition hall. As they neared the entrance, Zhou Qian suddenly heard a scream and saw three young women rushing out. Through his system interface, Zhou Qian discovered that they were NPCs.

The three girls each wore exaggerated long dresses in red, purple, and yellow, respectively. All of them looked pale and visibly shaken. Upon seeing Bai Zhou and Zhou Qian, they immediately began to offer words of caution.

“You mustn’t go in!”

“Yes, it’s terrifying!”

“The exhibit feels so real… Wuwuwu, it’s really scary.”

“Yes, yes, it’s as if someone is genuinely committing murder inside—”

“I’ll have nightmares for a month!”

“I won’t eat meat for three months!!”

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